2 PhD Positions on New Confucianism at Basel University

The Institute for European Global Studies at the University of Basel invites applications for two PhD positions starting on February 1, 2019. They are part of the research project "The Exterior of Philosophy: On the Practice of New Confucianism" funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF). The candidates will complement the research team of Prof. Dr. Ralph Weber and Philippe Major, Ph.D. The research project studies New Confucian philosophy by deploying a sociological perspective for philosophical aims. Existing scholarship has often chosen an approach that is either historical, as in the genre of intellectual history, or philosophical, tuned towards showing the contemporary philosophical relevance of New Confucianism. The current project builds on recent studies that add to these established approaches by offering sociological perspectives on New Confucianism. The project hence breaks new ground in terms of its disciplinary approach beyond the specific context of New Confucianism. Drawing on work done in sociology, the research project explores the possibilities of a sociology of philosophy approached as a philosophical sub-discipline.

Your positionYou will contribute to the research project by writing a doctoral thesis on one of the two following topics:

Exiled at Home! Writing Confucian Philosophy under Conditions of Censorship in the PRC (1949–1976)

The Politics of Anti-Confucianism and Philosophical Argument: The Debates between Confucians and Liberals in 1950s Taiwan.

MA thesis in a topic and discipline relevant to the PhD research project

Proficiency in Modern Chinese and in English

The pursued PhDs can be done in either Philosophy, Political Science or European Global Studies, depending on your profile and career plans.

We offer you

Integration in an active research group

Participation at conferences with your own contributions

Support for publishing your results in peer-reviewed journals

The salary and the conditions of employment will be those of the University of Basel and the SNF.

Application / ContactPlease send your complete application dossier, including a letter of motivation and CV (all documents in one e-mail as a single PDF-document) via e-mail to: bewerbung-eib [at] unibas.ch. Please indicate which of the two projects you are interested in pursuing. The closing date is July 5, 2018.In case you have questions about the positions, please contact the head of the research project, Prof. Dr. Ralph Weber: ralph.weber [at] unibas.ch.